My MachineFinder

Deere finishes purchase of Israeli cotton equipment manufacturer

Deere & Co. announced it has completed the purchase of a foreign cotton equipment manufacturer.

The nation's largest producer of farm equipment recently announced it had completed the purchase of an Israeli manufacturing company.

Deere & Co. said it finalized it procurement of BHC Manufacturing, which is based near Beit Hashita. The company produces cotton picker repair parts and also supplies row units for equipment manufacturers.

The U.S. farm equipment manufacturer said in December that it planned on completing the purchase of the Israeli company by the second quarter of fiscal year 2010.

"By combining the manufacturing assets of BHC with Deere's existing manufacturing capacity, John Deere will have improved capability, efficiency, and geographic reach to satisfy customer needs," Mark von Pentz, president of Deere's Agriculture & Turf Division, said at the end of last year.

While Deere extends its reach in the cotton business, a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that cotton production was down during 2009. Overall, production in the country came in at an estimated 12.4 billion 480-pound bales, which is 3 percent less than was seen in 2008.

Yields were also down in 2009, falling 8 pounds an acre, the department said.